SolarCity installed a 10-50 socket

[nolngrgrsngslde]

Delivery packet came with 6-50 adapter, the car comes with 14-50 adapter.

Can someone make sense out of all this.

 

[FlasherZ]

Delivery packet came with 6-50 adapter, the car comes with 14-50 adapter.

Can someone make sense out of all this.

SolarCity should not have installed a NEMA 10-50 receptacle. Post-1996, NEC deprecated the NEMA 10 series. New 50A receptacle installations must be either a NEMA 6-50 (for 240v-only loads) or NEMA 14-50 (for 120/240v loads). 10-50R's may only be used as a direct replacement for an existing receptacle, same location, with no other improvements.

Call them up and have them fix it. What bugs me is that he didn't catch it. If he's supposed to install a 14-50, he should have said to himself "oh, extra wire -- hmm, what's wrong here?" If it was supposed to be a 6-50, and he installed a 10-50, he's done something so blatantly wrong he should be fired for it -- he connected the equipment safety ground to a neutral conductor blade on the receptacle.

My guess? You got the apprentice electrician and he found any 50A receptacle on the shelf and just installed it. At least that's what I hope, because... well... no reasonable electrician would ever do that.

 

[nolngrgrsngslde]

I called SolarCity, they agreed to come and fix it right away. He should be here any moment now. He will replave the 10-50 with a 6-50 socket.

This has been installed for a couple of weeks. I only checked when i saw the adapter in the delivery package.

 

[Lcaudle24]

I had my electrical install today. Required about an 80 foot run from my main breaker box to a new breaker box near then new 240v standard plug. You can see stub out for my HPWC - supposedly to arrive in late January. As you can see, I have some minor drywall repair work to do before electrical comes back to install the HPWC. I know I got ripped off but I had to have the work done ($3900). (Larry in Northern Virginia).

 

[AnOutsider]

I know I got ripped off but I had to have the work done ($3900). (Larry in Northern Virginia).

Yikes! Maybe you had way more to do than I, but that's 5.5x what I paid!

 

[Lcaudle24]

Yikes! Maybe you had way more to do than I, but that's 5.5x what I paid!

Like I said, I got ripped. They did a good job if that is any consolation. Remember the Grinch? "I'm an idiot . . . I'm an idiot!"

 

[nolngrgrsngslde]

lcaudle24, didn't you get a call from solar city for this Job. They only charged around $1000.00. I had a run of about 100ft. I live in Maryland. They made a mistake with the socket type but came back and fixed it as soon as i let them know.

 

[dsm363]

This is not the exact issue but SolarCity/Mr. Electric installed the wrong outlet at my parent's house as well. I just check out my parent's install. They are getting a HPWC so are supposed to have a NEMA 6-50 outlet. They checked the SolarCity install box and the subcontracted Mr. Electric did the install. They were apparently on the phone with Tesla and had the correct sheet during the install but they actually installed a NEMA 14-50 outlet. I've e-mailed them about this and they should fix it but is this a problem for when they come back with the HPWC?

 

[markb1]

This is not the exact issue but SolarCity/Mr. Electric installed the wrong outlet at my parent's house as well. I just check out my parent's install. They are getting a HPWC so are supposed to have a NEMA 6-50 outlet. They checked the SolarCity install box and the subcontracted Mr. Electric did the install. They were apparently on the phone with Tesla and had the correct sheet during the install but they actually installed a NEMA 14-50 outlet. I've e-mailed them about this and they should fix it but is this a problem for when they come back with the HPWC?

No. The 14-50 has a neutral wire. The HPWC does not use a neutral. So going from 14-50 to HPWC shouldn't be a problem, as long as they ran the correct gauge wire for the HPWC. Since the car comes with a 14-50 adapter, there doesn't seem to be much reason to have them come out and extra time to install a 6-50.

 

[jerry33]

And it might be a good idea to leave the 14-50 so that you have a backup system available that's better than just a 120V.

 

[FlasherZ]

No. The 14-50 has a neutral wire. The HPWC does not use a neutral. So going from 14-50 to HPWC shouldn't be a problem, as long as they ran the correct gauge wire for the HPWC. Since the car comes with a 14-50 adapter, there doesn't seem to be much reason to have them come out and extra time to install a 6-50.

That's the big question - the Tesla "temp install" document said to run a 240V-only service on #2 or #3 AWG to a junction box where the HPWC would be located, then temporarily connect a NEMA 6-50 to the thicker wiring with #6. To run a neutral with that would add (sometimes significantly) to the cost, especially if you're not going to need it. I wonder if the proper gauge wire was run... if it's close to the panel, it may not matter for now, but if it's not, sounds like they may have installed just a plain-jane 14-50 outlet and will end up redoing everything when the HPWC arrives... at significant cost.

 

[dsm363]

That's the big question - the Tesla "temp install" document said to run a 240V-only service on #2 or #3 AWG to a junction box where the HPWC would be located, then temporarily connect a NEMA 6-50 to the thicker wiring with #6. To run a neutral with that would add (sometimes significantly) to the cost, especially if you're not going to need it. I wonder if the proper gauge wire was run... if it's close to the panel, it may not matter for now, but if it's not, sounds like they may have installed just a plain-jane 14-50 outlet and will end up redoing everything when the HPWC arrives... at significant cost.

When I asked "What gauge wire did you install then?"
He replied

#2 copper, the ground wire was installed to handle the recommenced 14-50 outlet.

 

[FlasherZ]

When I asked "What gauge wire did you install then?"

I assume he meant the neutral, but that's good - so he intends to abandon the neutral when the HPWC comes. Seems like overkill but guess he thought you *needed* a 14-50 in the meantime.

 

[dsm363]

I assume he meant the neutral, but that's good - so he intends to abandon the neutral when the HPWC comes. Seems like overkill but guess he thought you *needed* a 14-50 in the meantime.

Thanks, I appreciate your help. I think the issue was Tesla didn't send the 6-50 adapter so he was looking at the sheet and also looking at the NEMA 14-50 adapter and decided to install the 14-50 so my parents could charge their car. Glad to know he did everything else right though.